


Taking a Leap

by amykay73



Category: Young Riders
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-16
Updated: 2010-12-16
Packaged: 2017-10-13 17:06:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/139612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amykay73/pseuds/amykay73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kid returns from his time spent with Curly, Lou does some soul searching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking a Leap

**Author's Note:**

  * For [QueenRiley](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenRiley/gifts).



It was just after nightfall in Sweetwater. Inside the main house at the Pony Express Station, Teaspoon, Emma and the six riders were seated at the table enthusiastically finishing up their meal.

  
“So, anyone leave any room for dessert?” Emma asked as she stood from the table. She was greeted with a hearty chorus of “Yes, ma’am!” The mood at dinner that night had been more raucous than normal. A few days earlier what had started out as a potentially disastrous ride, ended on a happy note. The Kid was safe, Curly, the half Hukpapa Indian Kid had befriended was back with his tribe and war with the Sioux was for the moment, averted.

  
Lou had spent the dinner hour enthralled as Kid told story after story of his time spent with the light haired Indian. When she had learned that Indians had attacked the way station, she didn’t hesitate in volunteering to go with Jimmy to look for Kid. Once they arrived and she saw the destruction supposedly caused by the Sioux, she had instantly feared for the missing rider’s life. How strongly she reacted to Kid’s disappearance only confirmed what she had begun to suspect – that she was falling for him.

  
She knew that revelation was going to add a complication to her life that she really didn’t need. But whenever she tried to talk some sense to herself, all she could focus on was how relieved she had been when Cody had returned with Kid. How the couple of minutes spent alone with Kid following his return had been the best part of the last few days. How she had wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but unfortunately the untimely arrival of Teaspoon and the other riders had interrupted their moment.

  
A nudge in her ribs brought her back to reality. “You gonna pass that pie down?” Jimmy asked as he nodded towards the still steaming dish to her left.

  
“Sorry,” Lou mumbled. Based on the aroma coming from the apple pie, Lou could tell that Emma had outdone herself that night. However, she decided to skip the pie and passed it along to Jimmy who cut himself an extra large helping.

  
“Don’t forget, Lou,” Emma said. “You owe me a shod horse.”

  
“Yes, ma’am. In fact, I’ll get started on it right now,” she said as she rose from the table.

  
“Just don’t go off daydreaming again while you do it,” Jimmy said with a mouth full of pie. “The horse will nudge you a lot harder than I did.”

  
“Thanks for your concern, but I’ll be fine,” Lou replied. Sometimes the riders immaturity really grated on her nerves, but she was in such a good mood she ignored Jimmy’s teasing.

  
“I’ll come out and help,” the Kid said with a smile. “I need to take care of Katy anyway.”

  
Lou grinned at him. “I appreciate the help, Kid.” She held her gaze with him a moment too long and quickly looked away. She stole a glance at Teaspoon, but he was too engrossed in licking the pie remnants off his fingers to notice her behavior.

  
Lou walked outside and shivered in the cool night air. She pulled her jacket tighter around her. Once she reached the barn, she heard the sounds of the house door slamming shut. She turned in anticipation of seeing Kid, but frowned once she saw that it was Buck and Ike.

  
She had been avoiding Buck ever since his outburst regarding her savage comments. She knew she needed to make things right by him, but some things were easier to say than to do. However, the guilt was going to eat at her, so with a resolved sigh she walked towards the two riders.

  
Buck laughed at something that Ike signed to him, and again Lou wished she could understand the mute rider as easily as Buck did. Sure, Ike was able to convey basic messages, but she wished she could have a deeper friendship with him.

  
She cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Ike. Do you mind if I have a word with Buck alone?”

  
Ike nodded and thumped Buck on the shoulder. He waved at Lou before he walked around to the back of the house. Lou watched him go until Buck asked, “What’s on your mind?”

  
“I haven’t felt right about how we left things the other day. I think you might have misunderstood me,” Lou began to explain.

  
“If I’m remembering it right, I only repeated back words you used.”

  
Lou had a hard time meeting his eyes. “That may be, but I never meant it about you.”

  
Buck abruptly turned away. “It doesn’t matter. You may have meant Indians in a general sense, but if that is what you think when you see my people, then it is about me.”  
Lou laid her hand on his shoulder. “No. That’s not true. I know what a good person you are.”

  
“I want to believe that,” Buck said as he turned back around to face her. “I’ve been called a lot worse over the years, but what makes this hard is that it came from someone I consider part of my family.”

  
“I know, and that’s why I want to apologize. Buck, I never meant to hurt you. I wasn’t in a right frame of mind.”

  
Buck nodded. “I appreciate the apology. I know it’s hard when someone you care about is in danger.”

  
“Was it that obvious?” Lou asked.

  
“That you were worried about a friend? Or that it goes deeper than that? To those of us that know what to look for it might be. But for someone like Teaspoon, I think he is still blissfully unaware.” Buck gestured towards the barn where the Kid stood watching the two of them. “Now I think there is someone else you want to spend the rest of the evening with.”

  
Lou couldn’t help blushing. “I do have some chores to do.”

  
Buck smiled. “Well, you enjoy your chores tonight.”

  
“Everything alright?” Kid asked once Lou joined him at the entrance to the barn.

  
“I think so. I said some hurtful things the other day,” Lou admitted.

  
“I’m sure he’s heard it all,” Kid said.

  
“It still doesn’t make it right. I tried to explain to him that I was just worried about,” Lou swallowed nervously. She looked up into Kid’s eyes. “You.”

  
Kid grabbed Lou’s hand and took a couple of steps back into the shadows of the barn. “To tell you the truth, I was worried about myself too. Curly kept saying it was a good day to die. I really didn’t agree with him, as I have a few items on my life’s to-do list that I would like to accomplish first.”

  
“Like what?” Lou asked. She squeezed Kid’s hand a little tighter.

  
“Well, for one thing, kiss you.” Kid brought his lips close to Lou’s but she turned away.

  
“Kid, I want to. I really do. It’s all I think about lately. But by doing this, we’re probably going to be bringing a whole heap of trouble upon ourselves.”

  
Kid smiled. “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

  
“That’s easy for you to say, as you’re not the one that’s living a lie. If Teaspoon finds out I’m a girl, he’s going to fire me, and I can’t have that happen. It’s bad enough that all the other riders know my secret. But now if we start sneaking around, and we get caught…”

  
“Then Teaspoon is going to think I have a thing for boys.”

  
Lou startled at the thought and then let out a laugh. “Can you imagine his reaction to that?”

  
Kid laughed too and before Lou could protest again he leaned over and kissed her. “See, that wasn’t so bad,” he said as he pulled away.

  
“No,” Lou admitted. “But we have to be careful.”

  
“We will. Lou, the last thing I want to do is make your life more complicated. But we’ve been stumbling over something here, and it took the last few days for me to realize that I do want to pursue something with you.”

  
Lou gave him a shy smile. “That’s really sweet of you to say. And I too came to the same realization.”

  
Kid grinned and asked, “Can I kiss you again?”

  
“I’d be honored.” Lou leaned into Kid and again lost herself to the feel of his lips on hers.

  
Kid pulled away and smiled at her. “Don’t you have a horse to shod?”

  
Lou sighed. “I guess I do. And Emma’s going to be suspicious if we were out here all night and nothing got done.”

  
Kid nodded and started towards the stables. Lou reached out and grabbed his arm. “Kid, I’m glad you’re safe.”

  
“Me too, Lou, me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Yuletide! I hope this was what you were looking for. When I saw your Dear Yuletide Writer letter, I knew I would enjoy writing this Young Riders story for you. Our tastes are very similar, so I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
